Skills you will gain

About this Specialization

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This Specialization helps you improve your professional communication in English for successful business interactions. Each course focuses on a particular area of communication in English: writing emails, speaking at meetings and interviews, giving presentations, and networking online. Whether you want to communicate to potential employers, employees, partners or clients, better English communication can help you achieve your language and professional goals. The Capstone course will focus especially on making those important connections to take your career or business to the next level. Make yourself more competitive by improving your English through this Specialization: Improve Your English Communication Skills.

There are 4 Courses in this Specialization

Course 1

This is a course to help you write effective business emails in English. This course is unique because each module will provide tips on writing more professional emails as well as lessons to improve your overall English writing skills. Therefore, you will improve your grammar and vocabulary skills for email writing and also improve your cross cultural knowledge to make you more powerful and successful in your business communication. You will look at different email formats to analyze tone, formality levels, and various organizational styles. You will be able to improve your emails of introduction, announcements, requests and emails that apologize or revise a request. In this course you will write and revise 4–5 emails, complete several comprehension quizzes and review the emails of other participants.

By the end of this course, you will be able to
• Improve your overall written English skills
• See differences and similarities among the different email formats
• Write more effective subject lines and email text
• Apply various key language to different types of emails
• Correct common errors such as punctuation and capitalization
• Study tone and level of formality in emails
• Understand how culture affects what is appropriate in a business emails
• Write powerful business emails for professional needs

Course2

Course 2

Do you want to speak better English? This course will help you reach that goal. Speak English Professionally: In person, Online and On the Phone will boost your English speaking skills. In this 5 week course, you will learn how to identify and make a strong personal introduction. You will develop and demonstrate the speaking skills for group discussions: how to agree or disagree, how to clarify, restate and summarize. You will review and practice how to give information and respond to requests on the phone. You will study and role play effective interviewing. You will prepare and give a sales “pitch”, introducing a product or service. Throughout the course, you will adjust how you speak English and you will become more fluent and accurate when you speak. You will demonstrate culturally appropriate body language and tone. As you work through the course, you will complete self- and peer-evaluations. Through a combination of lectures, comprehension and vocabulary quizzes, practice and performance, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to communicate well in English, anywhere in the world.

By the end of this course you will:
• Change how you speak English
• Improve your pronunciation and fluency
• Increase your English vocabulary
• Identify how culture influences your speech
• Use culture to help you speak correctly
• Demonstrate the best body language for different cultural settings
• Know statements, questions and responses for different settings and situations

Course3

Course 3

Roughly half of the world’s population is already online and so setting yourself apart from the crowd is more important than ever before. One of the best ways to do that is by creating your own ePortfolio. An ePortfolio is a site that showcases or shows your background, your resume, and samples of your work. In this course, you will learn step by step how to build the site and you’ll learn the grammar, vocabulary and writing skills needed to create it. You will learn how to apply information from your ePortfolio to other online tools like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube in order to network with others so that you get a job or connect with other professionals. For each step in that process, you will listen to lectures, take comprehension quizzes, and learn how to use English appropriately to each part of your site. You will also complete self and peer assessments and gain the needed skills to make your ePortfolio a reality and establish yourself online.

By the end of this course, you will be able to
• Write a proper headline or title for your ePortfolio
• Describe your work in 1 sentence and in longer forms
• Identify how to use hashtags effectively
• Write an effective summary about yourself and your work
• Apply appropriate vocabulary to write your education and professional experience for your resume
• Understand how to write a tweet to get a job
• Discover how to write specific comments and network work with others
• Apply what you have on your portfolio to other tools like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube.

Course4

Course 4

This Capstone builds on the communication and content skills you’ve acquired throughout the Specialization and develops them further. During course lessons and Peer Assessments you will practice and expand the language skills necessary for success in the professional world. Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to complete assessments relevant to the working world.

In this course, you will:
* Study cultural influences on communication more thoroughly, identify key cultural influences in your own experience and compare your culture with a different one to identify ways to improve communication and decrease misunderstanding.
* Develop your email accuracy and style and engage in email correspondence with potential employers, clients or investors to set up interviews and/or meetings.
* Practice and Demonstrate fluent and accurate spoken English as you prepare and present a short talk about a personal accomplishment or “Sales Pitch” for a product or service.
* Polish your pronunciation through more connected speech including use of through groups, contractions/reductions, and linking.
Week by week, as you practice your language skills, make connections with people important to you and develop your network, you will increase your opportunities for success. Completing this Capstone Project will help you reach your English language and professional goals now and in the future.

Offered by

Georgia Institute of Technology

The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation's top research universities, distinguished by its commitment to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology.

Georgia Tech's campus occupies 400 acres in the heart of the city of Atlanta, where more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive a focused, technologically based education.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the refund policy?

If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.

Can I just enroll in a single course?

Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.

Is financial aid available?

Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.

Can I take the course for free?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.

Is this course really 100% online? Do I need to attend any classes in person?

This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.

How long does it take to complete the Specialization?

It will take approximately 18 weeks (approximately 4-5 months) to complete the Specialization.

How often is each course in the Specialization offered?

Courses will be continually offered throughout the year.

What background knowledge is necessary?

You should have at least intermediate level English language skills.

Do I need to take the courses in a specific order?

No.

Will I earn university credit for completing the Specialization?

No.

What will I be able to do upon completing the Specialization?

You will be able to communicate more professionally and accurately in English. Professional communication skills will include writing emails; speaking in person, on the phone, and through video conferencing; and using online tools such as LinkedIn and Twitter to enhance your online presence.